Windmill lubricating system



Jan'. 13, 1925.

J. T. RYAN WINDMILL LUBRICATING SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. l, 1924 Jmwfywn @my www?" 1924 3 sheets-sheet s J. TL RYAN WINDMILL LUBRICATING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 1

Jam 13, 1925.

Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

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JAMES T. RYAN, OF FRANKFURT, KENTUCKY.

WINDMILL LUBRICATING SYSTEM.

.To all whom it may con-cern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES T. RYAN, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Frankfort, in the county of Franklin and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Windmill Lubricating Systems, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to wind mills of the type disclosed in my application for patent upon wind mill Serial Number 671,135, filed October 27 1923, and has as an object the provision of a system of lubrication which will keep the moving` parts continually bathed in oil.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a lubricating system which will return surplus oil constantly to the oil reservoir.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a governing apparatus for a wind -miil which will provide sufficiently high speed of rotating parts as to effectually spray the oil supplied by the lubricating system and which will act efficiently as gov-` erning means, due to the speed of rotation of the governing element.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an oil-tight enclosure for the governing apparatus which while retaining the oil within will exclude dust and dirt from the working parts.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following description when read in-connection with the accompanying drawing showing an illustrative embodiment of the invention, and wherein- Fig. 1 is an elevation;

Fig. 2 is a.y detail vertical section showing the lower portion of the shaft and connected parts, as well as the oil sump on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section of the upperv portion of the mill showing the governing apparatus.

Fig. 1 is a detail horizontal section on line 1, 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section broken away to economize space and shown on an enlarged scale, illustrating some details of the preferred form of spider.

Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal section on line v6 6 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a detail section of a form of ballbearing for the upper bearing of the deector and shield element. i

As .shown in Fig. 1, the mill comprises a supporting frame 10, a rotor 11, a shield 12 and deflector 13 connected at the upper portion to a conical rain shield 14, and at the lower portion to a spider 15, all as shown in my copending application above referred to.

Details of a desirable form of spider are shown in Fig. 5 in which a lower hub 8O is shown having a bearing 81 upon the frame of the mill and arms 82 are shown riveted to projections 83 from the hub. An upper hub 84 and a lower hub 85 are shown carrying arms 86, 87, to which the blades 88 of the rotor are secured. and rigidly to the shaft they are preferably provided with a tapering thread as at 89, and jam nuts 91, 92 are provided to cause the hubs to pinch the shaft. If desired the threaded portion of the hubs may be slitted (not shown) to allow contraction in a well known manner. A sleeve 93 is shown carried by the hub 85 and overlapping the hub to retain oil in the cavity 911 in the hub 80.

As disclosed in the said co-pending application the vane 16 is adapted to control the relation of the shield 12 and defiector 13 to the direction of the wind.

The governing apparatus, shown more particularly in Fig. 3, is in principle the same as that shown in the co-pending application. y

To provide a greater speed for the governor to increase its efficiency as a governor, and also to more thoroughly spray oil, as will be described, the governor is geared up as follows: A gear 17 is rigidly secured to the hollow shaft 18. The circular plate 19, which serves as a centering device for the conical rain shield 20 is journaled upon the shaft 18 for free rotation thereon, and has a bearing 21 preferably of the ball type upon the collar 22 to which the upper spider arms 23 of the rotor are secured. The plate 22 is rigidly secured to the shaft 18.

To secure the plate 19 to the rain shield 20 and to enclose the governing apparatus 1n a dust and oil-tight manner, there is `shown a frusto-conical apron 24C bolted as at 25 to the rain shield, and, as at 26, to the edge of the plate 19.

The ball governors 27 are shown as pivoted at their lower end at 28 to a collar 29, rigidly secured to a sleeve 30 journaled for free rotation upon the shaft 18. Preferably a hardened washer 31 is secured to the To tix the hubs 84 "their upper ends in a yoke the ends of' vwhich are downturned and secured to the lower end of the collar 29 to take the wear plate 19, as at 36.

Due to the difference in size between the 'gear 17 and the gear 38, and between gears A'82 and the gearing upon the sleeve 29, the

' Vgovernor balls 27 will be revolved at a considerably higher speed than is the shaft 18.

4llhesecond connection of the governors `27, through the links 37, is to a sliding sleeve38, as disclosed in my co-pending ap ,.plication, but in the present instance the lconical member of the sleeve is provided l' with an upwardly opening recess 40 aiidhas aplurality of holes 41 in its periphery. As p in the (io-.pending application referred to- ,downward movement ofA the cone 39 is 'Y adapted to act upon a crank 42, and through "the shaft 43 cause movement of the vane 16;

vrIo .assist the springs 78 to return the is excessively depressed and when the angle between the arms approaches 18()o and also to`cushion -thc movement of the cone 39 upon-sudden increases ofiV speed of the device,

a. helicalispring 79 is placed around .the

of the movement ofi the-cone to be unchecked.

To supply oil to the parts described, there reservoir 47 desirablyhoused'inV the base` block 48 which supports the rotor of the mill. -lVhen thus constructed oil will be drawn to the pump through. pipe 49 and dis- Y'charged through a pipe 50, leading to and,

@the frame, as shown in F ig. o. p l

shown in the shaft- 18. To supply oil tothe:

CJi

discharginginto the: upper bearing l51 of A plug`52 isv bearingof theshaft 18 within the'journal v 51, there is shown a channel or groove 53 inl the; surface of the shaft 18, terminating in an opening` 54, delivering to a recess 55,

thereby being adapted to lubricate the entire surface of the shaft 18, within the journal 51 and within the upper conical centering member 56 of the rain shield.

carried. I igovernor arms to normal when the cone 39 oil passage 58 is shown communicating therewith and adapted to convey oil tothe bearing of the crank shaft 43.

A series of openings 59 are shown in the shaft 18 above the plug 52, through which oil may escape and flow downward into the recess 40, a certain amount finding access through openings 69 to the bearing of the sleeve 30 upon the shaft 18.

v lThe supply of oil through the pipe is to be suliicientto feed oil to all of the main parts, and 1also to keep a sufficient quantity V'present in the recess 40, so that it may be thrown or sprayed by centrifugal force through the cone openings 41 in the cone 38 to keep the vwholeV of the mechanism of the jgovernor bathed in oil. l

' VThe oil accumulating inthe lower portion of the apron 24 and upon theplatev 19 will drain through holes 61 to a recess 62 in the bearing 22,` thereby keeping Athe ball bearing 21 "lubricated and fronithe recess 62tlirougli oil passages 63 tothe centeiuof the hollow sha-ft, down which .it flowsfguided mainly 'bythe inner' surface of the'shafft 18. finally y gaining access through oil passages 64 and 65 to the reservoir 47, in thefineantime thoroughly lubricating the ball bearing'66 upon which the lower -end of the" shaft 18 is Some of theoil passing down the inner surface of theshaft18 will find its Vway through a passage 67 tothe cupped top of the bea-ring 68 for the shield and deflector spider 15, and from there througlra passage 69 `to the bearing 70 for the wind shield and sleeve 80. The spring 79.*is preferably of" -suoh a length as to allow about two thirds ldeiiector elements carried by frame member 71. From this point there is shown a passage 72 to return the oil,to the interior of y the shaft 18. If desired a-slieet metal shield 7 3 may be secured to the collar 74 provided for 'the a'ctuation'of thegovernor rod 75, to'

cover the slots 7b to "retain the oil-in its downward passage/Q The iod V75 is adapted to act upon' thefpin 7 7 to depress the cone 38 to cause the Avane to throw the shield 12 into the wind in 'the manner already described in my co-pending application above referred to. l

ln thc forni the lower end of the casting 51 isvsho'wn as provided withy anr enlarged portion 95 within which is housed 'a' radial'ball-bearing 96 jin which the upper endofthehollowv shaft 18 is Vjournaled. The apex ofthe rain shield element 56 isshown as enlarged to VVrecei ve theenlarged-portion 95.. :A n. an'nularoil re- .oessL 97 is .preferably formed upon the interior of the yportion 98 of thefca'sting 56 and oil channels99f100 ai'e Aformed leading to the annular channel referred to. f A passage `58 is shown tov conduct oil to the journal "shown iii this ligure. VTo kdeflect soineof the oil delivered to this form of a bearing of bearing shown in Fig. 7

y l .openingfor the crank43 of thevane, not Y The peripheral recess v57 is also shown in connection with with lthe channel 53 andan ice through the pipe 50, pieces of tubing 101 with their exposed ends cut on an angle are shown as projecting to the interior of the casting 5l from the channels 99-100 Minor changes may be made in the physical embodiment of the invention without departing from its spirit.

I claim: Y

l. A wind mill and lubricating means therefor comprising, in combination,` a lubricant reservoir, means actuated by said mill to draw from said reservoir and deliver lubricant to the top of the mill, means actuated by the mill to spray lubricant upon mechanism of said mill and means to drain olf and conserve surplus lubricant.

2. A wind mill and lubricating means therefor comprising, in combination, governing mechanism, means to deliver lubricant to said mechanism, and means actuated by said mechanism to spray the lubricant thereover.

3. A wind mill and lubricating means therefor comprising, in combination, governing mechanism, means to deliver lubricant to said mechanism, means actuated by said mechanism to spray the lubricant thereover, and means to collect and conserve surplus lubricant.

a. A wind mill and lubricating means therefor comprising, in combination, governing mechanism, means to drive said mechanism from the mill at an increased speed, means to deliver lubricant to said mechanism, means actuated by the mechanism to spray lubricant thereover by centrifugal force and means to drain off and conserve surplus lubricant.

A wind mill and lubricating means therefor comprising, in combination, governing mechanismI` an oil tight enclosure therefor, means to deliver lubricant to said mechanism, means actuated by the mechanism to spray lubricant thereover by centrifugal force, and means to collect surplus lubricant and deliver the same toother frictional surfaces of the mill.

(i. A Wind mill and lubricating means therefor comprising, in combination, a rotor, a wind shield and deflector mounted for rotation thereabout, a rain shield connected to said last named parts and journaled on the shaft of said rotor, governing mechanism housed in said rain shield, a concave apron secured to said rain shield and surrounding` said mechanism, means to deliver' lubricant to said mechanism, means to spray the lubricant over the mechanism and means to conduct lubricant gathered by said apron to other frictional surfaces of the mill.

7. A wind mill and lubricating means therefor comprising, in combination, a vertical hollow shaft, a rotor mounted on said shaft to be driven by wind power, means to deliver lubricant to the upper portion of said hollow shaft, means to supply lubricant therefrom to the bearings of the mill, means to return surplus lubricant from said bearings to the interior of the hollow shaft and means below said shaft to receive and conserve the surplus lubricant flowing downward through said shaft.

8. A wind mill and lubricating means therefor comprising, in combination, a vertical shaft, a sleeve journaled on said shaft, multiplying gearing to drive said sleeve from said shaft atv increased speed, centrifugal governing means driven by said sleeve, means actuated. by said sleeve for spraying oil over said governingmechanism, and means to conserve the surplus oil.

9. A wind mill and lubricating means therefor comprising, in combination, a vertical shaft, centrifugal governing means actuated by said shaft comprising an inverted frusto conical cam sliding on said shaft, an annular recess in the base of said cam, means for delivering oil to said recess, and means to spray oil from said recess by centrifugal force over the governing means.

10. A wind mill and lubricating means therefor comprising, in combination, a vertical hollow shaft, a rotor to drive said shaft by wind power, a reservoir adjacent the foot of the mill, means actuated by said shaft to draw oil from said reservoir and deliver the same to the top of said shaft, a closureV adjacent the top of said shaft, governing means above said rotor actuated by said shaft, an oil-tight housing for said governing means, said shaft having openings above said closure to deliver oil to the interior of said housing, means actuated by the governing means to spray the oil thereover, and means to conserve the surplus oil and return the same to said reservoir.

l1. A Wind mill and lubricating means therefor comprising, in combination, a vertical hollow shaft, a rotor to drive said shaft by wind power, a reservoir adjacent the foot of the mill, means actuated by said shaft to draw oil from said reservoir and deliver the same to the top of said shaft, a closure adjacent the top of said shaft, governing means above said rotor actuated by said shaft, an. oil-tight housing for said governing means, said shaft having openings above said closure to deliver oil to thc interior of said housing, means actuated by the governing means to spray theA oil thereover, means to convey oil drained from said housing to the bearings of said rotor, an

oil passage from said bearings to return thev oil to the interior of the shaft, and means to return oil from the interior of the shaft to said reservoir.

JAMES T. RYAN. 

